Blood Flow

Marijuana users have faster blood flow in their brains, even after a month of not smoking, than nonusers, researchers have found. The study suggests that marijuana users have narrowed arteries, similar to patients with high blood pressure and dementia, and could help explain reports that heavy marijuana users have trouble on memory tests, said the researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Baltimore.

Over a five-year period, a government-mandated tracking system in France showed that physicians in that country treated 1,979 patients for serious health problems associated with the use of marijuana, and nearly 2% of those encounters were with patients suffering from cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, cardiac arrhythmia and stroke, and circulation problems in the arms and legs. In roughly a quarter of those cases, the study found, the patient died. In the United States, when young and otherwise healthy patients show up in emergency departments with symptoms of heart attack, stroke, cardiomyopathy and cardiac arrhythmia, physicians have frequently noted in case reports that these unusual patients are regular marijuana users.

J. Harold Wayland, 91, Caltech scientist known internationally for his research on blood flow. Wayland taught engineering and applied science at Caltech from 1949 to 1979. He was an expert on blood flow whose research examined the impact of diabetes mellitus on circulation and the interaction between blood and tissues in the smallest vessels in the body. He also pioneered the development of microscopic measurements to investigate fundamental life processes.

An advocacy group is facing criticism for citing the case of Jahi McMath, the 13-year-old girl declared-brain dead last month after a complex tonsillectomy in Oakland, to solicit donations for a campaign to raise a state-imposed cap on medical malpractice awards. Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog sent out a fundraising appeal saying that, because of the $250,000 cap on pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice lawsuits, hospitals have an incentive "to let children like Jahi die. " Jahi was declared brain-dead Dec. 12, three days after undergoing surgery to remove her tonsils, adenoids and uvula at C hildren's Hospital & Research Center Oakland . At least three neurologists confirmed Jahi was unable to breathe on her own, had no blood flow to her brain and had no sign of electrical activity.

Tiny amounts of cocaine, smaller than those commonly given by doctors for anesthesia, can trigger a significant reduction in the flow of blood to the heart, a study shows. Young, seemingly healthy cocaine abusers sometimes suffer chest pain or heart attacks, even though their heart arteries appear normal. Doctors have speculated that the drug causes spasms in blood vessels and temporarily chokes off the flow of blood to heart muscles.

An angiogram performed Tuesday on Angel pitcher Fernando Valenzuela determined that he has a rare condition that restricts blood flow to the heart. Dr. Larry Santora, who oversaw the procedure at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, said the outlook for Valenzuela is favorable despite what he termed myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending artery. He said that Valenzuela might pitch again in a few weeks if he responds to medication.

Large doses of caffeine are known to constrict blood vessels supplying the brain. Now researchers have found that going without the brew for about a day and half increases blood flow to the brains of heavy coffee drinkers 30% more than it does in light coffee drinkers. "It's way above what a person normally experiences," study coauthor Dr. Paul J. Laurienti says of the increased blood flow. The surge may explain the headaches that plague people when they first give up coffee.

An angiogram performed Tuesday on Angel pitcher Fernando Valenzuela determined he has a rare condition that restricts blood flow to the heart. Dr. Larry Santora, who oversaw the procedure at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, said the outlook for Valenzuela is favorable despite what he called myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending artery. He said Valenzuela might pitch again in a few weeks if he responds to medication.

Coronary artery bypass surgery, which former President Clinton is scheduled to undergo, is often the treatment of choice for heart patients who have extensively clogged arteries or for those who are relatively young and desire a more maintenance-free procedure, experts said Friday.

If you see professional athletes or weekend warriors with a crazy crosshatch of tape on their shoulders, knees or elbows, they probably aren't making a fashion statement. Chances are they're trying to tape over some pain. So-called kinesiology tapes — two prominent examples are Kinesio Tex Tape and KT Tape — gained worldwide attention during the 2008 Olympics, largely thanks to the heavily taped shoulder of American beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh. Unlike traditional tapes that wrap around joints to provide support and compression, kinesiology tape sticks directly to the sore spots like big Band-Aids.

The attorney for the family of Jahi McMath, the brain-dead 13-year-old girl at the center of a legal controversy, says her body has deteriorated badly since she was transfered from an Oakland hospital. Jahi underwent surgery Dec. 9 to remove her tonsils, adenoids and uvula at C hildren's Hospital & Research Center Oakland . She was declared brain-dead Dec. 12 after she went into cardiac arrest and suffered extensive brain hemorrhaging. PHOTOS: The Jahi McMath case At least three neurologists have confirmed that Jahi was unable to breathe on her own, had no blood flow to her brain and had no sign of electrical activity.

November 20, 2013 | By Karen Kaplan, This post has been corrected, as indicated below.

The next time you take a coffee break, you might want to consider a triple espresso. The extra caffeine may reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. A study presented Wednesday at the American Heart Assn.'s Scientific Sessions meeting offers new evidence that coffee boosts the function of small blood vessels in people who are already healthy. Researchers in Japan recruited 27 young adults in their 20s to participate in the study. None of them were regular coffee drinkers, but they agreed to consume two 5-ounce cups of joe for the sake of science.

Older chocoholics may have a new excuse to indulge their cravings: The dark stuff not only soothes the soul, but might also sharpen the mind. In a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, researchers reported that chocolate may help improve brain health and thinking skills in the elderly . The Boston-based team found that older people who initially performed poorly on a memory and reasoning test and also had reduced blood flow...

If you had a serious case of the heebie-jeebies when University of Louisville sophomore guard Kevin Ware snapped his tibia on live television during the NCAA basketball tournament, you weren't alone. Teammates crumpled to the floor. Players on the nearby bench physically recoiled. Louisville Coach Rick Pitino says he nearly vomited at the sight of his player's bone jutting through the skin of his lower leg. Broadcasters stopped showing the break after a few replays. Their reaction may be rooted in evolution, genetics and upbringing.

March 22, 2012 | By Andrew Blankstein and Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times

Singer Whitney Houston appears to have suffered a heart episode before accidentally drowning in the bathtub of a Beverly Hills hotel suite, according to coroner's officials who listed cocaine use as a contributing factor. The autopsy results were released Thursday after weeks of intense speculation over how the 48-year-old pop star died. The case marks another high-profile Hollywood death connected to drug use, coming less than three years after Michael Jackson died suddenly at his Holmby Hills mansion.

Could freestyle skier Sarah Burke, who died Jan. 19, nine days after a devastating crash, have been helped by an experimental drug? A new study offers a glimmer of hope for future victims of traumatic brain injury. In the hours after she has sustained a blow to the head, the victim of a traumatic injury experiences a slow down of blood flow to the brain--arguably when she needs it most. That mismatch between a brain's response and its needs in the wake of injury has set many a neuroscientist thinking: Can a way be found to keep the flow of oxygenated blood pumping normally?

March 22, 2012 | By Andrew Blankstein and Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times

Singer Whitney Houston appears to have suffered a heart episode before accidentally drowning in the bathtub of a Beverly Hills hotel suite, according to coroner's officials who listed cocaine use as a contributing factor. The autopsy results were released Thursday after weeks of intense speculation over how the 48-year-old pop star died. The case marks another high-profile Hollywood death connected to drug use, coming less than three years after Michael Jackson died suddenly at his Holmby Hills mansion.

If you see professional athletes or weekend warriors with a crazy crosshatch of tape on their shoulders, knees or elbows, they probably aren't making a fashion statement. Chances are they're trying to tape over some pain. So-called kinesiology tapes — two prominent examples are Kinesio Tex Tape and KT Tape — gained worldwide attention during the 2008 Olympics, largely thanks to the heavily taped shoulder of American beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh. Unlike traditional tapes that wrap around joints to provide support and compression, kinesiology tape sticks directly to the sore spots like big Band-Aids.

The cells that line blood vessels, called endothelial cells, regulate blood flow to tissues. At least, that's what everyone thought until recently. Now researchers know that endothelial cells do much more and may even be harnessed for their power to stop cancer. In a study published this week, researchers used endothelial cells to slow cancer growth in mice. In the 1980s, researchers realized endothelial cells did much more than serve as gatekeepers of blood flow. The cells influence the behavior of blood vessels, blood clotting, tissue repair and inflammation by releasing certain proteins.